Creating a personal environment that is conducive to maximizing your creativity is pivotal for continued, ongoing success and achievement. Many people forget this step. Either they do not know, or they simply neglect the responsibility to provide a creative and effective atmosphere for themselves.
Creation has all kinds of creatures needing distinct types of atmospheres to exist and thrive. Take a fish out of their environment (the sea, river) and suddenly it will quickly begin to flip-flop on the floor. It is searching for a particular kind of “liquid” oxygen in order to live. “Dry” oxygen, the kind that human’s need, is not enough. The fish, not finding the type of oxygen it needs, will immediately start to die. But, if you throw it back into the sea, it will suddenly swim away at high speed. Fish are very agile and quick in the water. They communicate in this environment and live in beautiful and exotic communities. Fish also have families that they provide for. Yet, for other species, a fish’s atmosphere is actually toxic and deadly.
A human is able to visit a fish’s environment (the ocean) and spend time there. Nonetheless special equipment, which in many cases is cumbersome and uncomfortable, is required in order to survive underwater for a longer period of time. Remarkably there are some people who cannot enter into that world without having a panic attack. A friend of mine attempted to go scuba diving once, and when they entered the water, my friend immediately went into a panic mode and started drowning. The boat crew had to immediately take my friend out of that intimidating atmosphere. The fish in the surrounding area must have been wondering what the commotion was all about. They must have said to themselves, “How come humans are afraid of our fabulous and easy going atmosphere?” Well, maybe I am exaggerating a little, but I think you get the point.
I believe, to a great extent, our success in life, business, and ministry largely depends upon being in the proper environment. There are environments that are toxic to our creativity and well-being. Some environments are dangerous to our health. Some are dangerous to our lives, and some can suck the desire and creativity right out of us.
An environment that may seem normal to some can be deadly to others. For example, a coal miner who worked in the coal mining industry died of lung disease at a much earlier age than if he would have worked on a farm. The mine shafts were toxic to a human being’s health. A racecar driver is at a much greater risk of dying in a car accident than a typical civilian who uses a car to go shopping every week. Similarly, there are people who live with no hope of ever achieving anything significant due to the environment that they continuously subject themselves to. What can cause this type of toxic environment?
Here are some things/issues that may have helped to cultivate this type of harmful environment:
- circumstances in your past
- interactions with your family
- past unachieved successes
- past mistakes or circumstances beyond your control
- your current job or business
- misguided beliefs
- your daily habits
A great man once said that there are only half a dozen things that we do every day that either help us to succeed or fail. For most people, there are several daily “little” habits that over a period of time have been unknowingly cultivated and nurtured. These habits have guaranteed that they will always be out of shape, poor, average, sickly, and/or passed over for promotions. The list can very easily go on and on.
If you find yourself arriving late to places, this is a visible sign that you have cultivated and nurtured a bad habit. You are either going to bed very late at night which causes you to get up late, or you are not giving yourself enough time to get to places. As a result, you do not take responsibility for your action, and instead, you blame the train, the bus, the traffic jam, your spouse or the kids. In truth, the problem is hitting you in the face. You have a bad habit and you are in denial. What is worse, you refuse to correct the problem. Be determined to go bed earlier or get up earlier. Plan your day the evening before, so you can leave your home earlier. If you change your bad habits, you will get to places on time. Incidentally, I noticed that when I arrive earlier than I need too, I am not stressed. I am more relaxed and able to conduct business when I give myself sufficient time. There will always be factors beyond your control that will cause you to fall behind schedule. If you do not give yourself additional time, you are subjecting yourself to harmful yet
preventable stress.
Effective leaders have learned that their success depends on the environment around them. Therefore, they are very careful as to how they cultivate their environment.
Some things that effective leaders do on purpose:
- They prepare an office environment. They make sure they have the proper reading, study, and research materials. Their office is organized and efficient. You can get a lot more done when you know where everything is. Their filing systems are up to date. Their business and personal documents are in order, up to date, and easily retrievable (i.e.: IRS documents, birth certificates, social security cards, etc).
- They hire competent professionals. These professionals give them advice with their personal and professional business. Most mistakes are made when one does not get help from competent professionals.
- They are selective with the people with whom they surround themselves with. They are very careful with whom they interact. They are selective with their friends, their business associates and partners. The people they spend time with can help to make them very successful, so they seek them out like they would gold.
- They take responsibility for their daily habits and actions. If they identify a bad habit, they go to work on changing that habit. They desire to change their unhealthy behavior or habits in order to achieve the long-term benefits of championship habits.
- They consistently use a growing library of resources to better themselves and change their habits. They continuously read, listen to, and study cutting edge leadership books, the Sacred Scripture, motivational tapes, and CDs. They go to encouraging and educational conferences and seminars. They are continuously studying the masters in their chosen field of employment. They refuse to waste their time watching four to six hours of television a day. While some people are watching others on television become rich and successful, these prosperous leaders are using their valuable time to build their own success and personal wealth. This wealth includes spending more time with their spouses and children, reading biographies of successful men and women, and taking pertinent courses that will help get them to the top of their field. This is so important because the things you think about most during the day will determine your actions, and your actions determine the level of your success. If you continuously infuse your thinking with ideas and concepts that stimulate your creativity it will directly impact your actions and responses. You will create a continual cycle of successes and worthwhile accomplishments. This done over a period of time will give you incredible rewards! “Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed.” — Joshua 1: 8 (NLT)
- They make it a point to take some respite time. They take time off to go on vacations that help them to rest and be restored from the continual state of “business” that our generation lives in. This is so critical because the more tired and weary you are the less creative and productive you will be.Iam amazed at how taking a weekend off every two to three months will help the creative juices flow. A time of respite fosters a healthy and productive environment around you. Moreover, God instructed the Israelites of old to rest one day out of the week.Part of that rest involves:> Remembering God’s goodness;
> Considering all the wonderful benefits and provision that already exists all around us;
> Meditating on God’s laws which share principles that allow us to live a full and joyful life here on earth;
> Sharing these life principles with your family.A time of rest will continuously put you in a confident and joyful state of mind, and allow your body and mind to rest and be strengthened for the coming week. When a person does not take time to get sufficient rest, the body slowly starts breaking down. You may begin to experience alarming symptoms that if left unchecked can become a serious illness.
I managed a 475 unit residential complex in New York City. On the surface it looked like I had arrived. It was a luxury building with many amenities. As part of my benefits package, my family and I moved into one of their premium apartments with sunroofs and a killer view. This beautiful apartment had three bedrooms and two bathrooms, plus a gorgeous fireplace.
Within a month’s time I realized that I was in for a continual state of pressure. Being so large a complex, there were always many emergencies happening, seven days a week. Although I was off on Saturdays and Sundays, I still had to work every weekend just to keep up with the workload. Since it was a luxury building, the residents had to be taken care of no matter what!
About six months down the road, I noticed that I was having trouble sleeping at night. Then I started experiencing chest pains and problems breathing. Two months later, I went to the doctor, who ran a battery of tests on me. After all was said and done, the doctor asked me if I was having trouble on the job. I told him it was a very stressful job and this was the norm in that place. The doctor’s remedy was for me to resign from that position and find a less stressful job. He said that my condition was reversible, but if I continued in that environment it will make me very ill.
I spoke to my wife, and we decided that even though the place was beautiful and the amenities were very desirable, it was necessary to leave that toxic environment for our long-term well-being. Within three months, all the symptoms disappeared, and I was well once again.
After following the doctor’s orders, I was fortunate to find a great job with similar pay and benefits without the stressful environment that I had experienced in that other building. It was my responsibility to exchange that toxic environment to a more beneficial one. Had I ignored the symptoms and the instructions of the doctor, I could have gotten very ill and the bottom line is that I would not have been able to blame anyone but myself for any repercussions of refusing wisdom and counsel.
Learn to create and cultivate an atmosphere conducive to winning, and it will help you press through to success levels that will greatly benefit those close to you as well as humanity at large.
Applying wisdom to everyday life for extraordinary life,
Victor Nazario
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